What are the District of Columbia Phone Scams?

What are the District of Columbia Lottery Scams?

These are deceptive practices that use telephone products and services to extort District of Columbia (DC) residents. Fraudsters employ various means, such as call spoofing, to deceive their marks into sharing sensitive information or making payments. Residents who have suspicions on certain numbers can use reverse phone number lookup applications to uncover the identities of persons associated with such numbers. Phone scam victims can file complaints online with the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia (OAG). The OAG protects District citizens by investigating reported violations against the District’s Consumer Protection laws. The OAG also provides consumer alerts and educates residents about prevalent phone scams in the District.

DC residents frequently complain of the following phone scams:

• Charity scams, where scammers solicit donations while pretending to be representatives of legitimate charities or fundraisers.
• Advance fee scams, where fraudsters request payment of upfront fees to complete business transactions and deliver on promised proceeds or returns to the call recipients.
• Utility scams, where con artists disguise as employees of legitimate utility providers and threaten to disconnect service unless their outstanding bill is cleared immediately.
• COVID-19 related scams, where fraudsters take advantage of residents’ fears on health concerns to trick them into paying for bogus treatments or fake test kits.
• IRS scams, where fraudsters demand payment for delinquent taxes while pretending to be with the IRS.
• Student loan repayment scams, where scammers request advance fees from students to secure loans with low repayment rates.
• Grandparent scams, where fraudsters pose as grandchildren of their targets and trick unsuspecting seniors into sending large sums of money.
• Tech support scams, where fraudsters claim to be employees of their targets’ computer companies and request remote access to fix their computers. They usually end up stealing personal and financial information from such PCs to commit thefts.
• Lottery scams, where fraudsters use fantastic offers to deceive their targets into paying some fees upfront to claim lottery winnings.

Fraudsters impersonate employees of legitimate lottery companies to rip off residents. They commonly pretend to be with the D.C Lottery and call their targets to inform them about winning some prizes. They deceive them into sending money upfront to claim winnings that never actually existed. The callers often tag such money as payment for taxes and other fees. The OAG warns residents to be wary of these types of calls, especially if they did not participate in any contest. It advises them never to send money or give up personal information to such callers. DC residents who fall victim to lottery scams can file complaints with the OAG online or via email. They can also report their grievances to the OAG at: 

Office of Consumer Protection

Office of the Attorney General

400 6th Street, NW

Washington, DC 20001

What are District of Columbia Charity Scams?

Charity scammers prey on the generosity of DC residents to defraud them. These scams are rampant post-disasters or during national emergencies. The callers claim to be representatives of reputable charities and request donations to provide relief for victims of disasters. Their preferred methods of taking contributions include wire transfer, gift cards, and cash (mailed). Residents whose donations are being sought should thoroughly investigate the authenticity of such charities to avoid scams. The OAG advises residents to ignore donation requests, which are characterized by aggressive solicitations or unusual payment methods. Residents can validate charities’ legitimacy by using the IRS check tool, BBB charity search, or charity navigator. It is possible to uncover the real identities of charity fraudsters and avoid scams by searching reverse phone lookup websites for their phone numbers. Residents who have been victims of these scams can file complaints online with the District of Columbia OAG.

What are District of Columbia Grandparent Scams?

In grandparent scams, fraudsters pose as relatives of their targets to feign being caught up in some emergencies and request money to fix such crises. They usually appeal to their marks’ emotions to unsettle them long enough to accomplish their fraudulent goals. The callers often intersperse familiar information during calls in an attempt to fool their targets into believing them. The scammers may claim they need money for medical treatment or bonding out of jail. They may also say that they are stranded abroad and need money to return home. The callers usually plead with their “grandparents'' to keep such conversation a secret and typically request payment through money transfer or gift cards. Persons who believe they are victims of these scams can report by email to the OAG or call (202) 442-9828.

What are District of Columbia IRS Scams?

Scammers exploit residents’ fears of the consequences of owing taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to steal their money or financial information. They pretend to be with the IRS and threaten their targets with arrest or litigation over unpaid taxes. The callers often spoof the IRS official phone numbers to establish trust and then cheat their targets. In another version of this scam, fraudsters will claim that call recipients have some issues with their tax returns and request sensitive information for supposed validations. It is a ploy to obtain their targets’ data for identity and financial thefts. These scammers usually demand payments by reloadable cards or wire transfer services. The OAG warns residents to hang up their phones when they receive these types of calls and confirm their tax status from the IRS to avoid scams. Reverse phone number searches can help retrieve information on these callers. DC residents who feel they owe taxes can call the IRS at 1 (800) 829-1040 or contact the Department of the Treasury Inspector General at 1 (800) 366-4484 if they are certain no taxes are owed. They can also report these scams to the OAG by calling the Consumer Protection Hotline at (202) 442-9828.

How Do I Avoid Becoming a Victim of a Phone Scam?

• Be cautious of phone calls from unknown numbers, most especially if they originate from overseas.  Most phone scammers use spoofing technology to conceal their identities.
• End a phone call once you realize it is a robocall to avoid robocall scams.
• Stay informed about the latest scam schemes used by fraudsters to cheat residents out of their money and obtain confidential information.
• Do not share too much personal identifying information online, especially on social media sites.
• Inquire about call-blocking services from your phone company to block identified scam calls.
• Desist from consummating online banking transactions on public wi-fi and other unsecured networks to avoid the risk of exposing sensitive financial data to scammers.
• Do not be pressured into making on-the-spot decisions over the phone. Scammers often attempt to unsettle their targets and elicit hasty responses from them.
• Ensure that confidential information such as PINs, passwords, credit card numbers, and social security numbers are securely stored. Phone scammers prey on them to commit financial theft.
• Add your number to the National Do Not Call Registry. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) forbids telemarketers from contacting registered numbers with unsolicited calls.
• Use up-to-date antivirus and the latest versions of web browsers to protect your mobile devices and computers from being hacked by fraudsters.

File complaints of phone scams with the FTC online.